From Tom Layson/KBTC tv: “I’m sorry to report that our Northwest Now freelance reporting ace Steve Kiggins has passed away. He will be greatly missed. Steve was so funny and warm – and made a great contribution to our efforts on Northwest Now. I, and all of us at KBTC, send our best wishes to Steve’s friends and family. I have the satisfaction knowing that he loved working on Northwest Now, and that according to him, he did some of the best work of his career with us. Rest in Peace Steve.”
He is a graduate of Bates Technical College.His broadcasting career in the region includes notable stints at two stations tied to your query:KCPQ (Q13 Fox) in Seattle: He joined KCPQ-TV in the spring of 2013, working as a reporter. He covered a range of stories there over several years, including field reporting (e.g., weather-related events like winter storms). In late 2022, the station (a Fox-owned outlet) declined to renew his contract, which he publicly noted in a farewell to viewers, describing it positively in context. This marked the end of his time at KCPQ.
KBTC Public Television: In July 2023, shortly after leaving KCPQ, Kiggins joined KBTC (a PBS-affiliated public station serving the Tacoma/Seattle area) as a Northwest Multi-Media Journalist and reporting photojournalist. He contributed to their public affairs program Northwest Now, producing in-depth field reports, digital extras, and the “Steve on the Street” podcast series. His work there focused on community issues like local economies, immigration concerns, wildfire threats, and more. He created content for broadcast, online, and podcasts, emphasizing informative and human-centered storytelling.
Bio from his website
February 12, 2026 at QZVX
Jason Remington says:
Steve Kiggins spent his youth in Southwest Washington and most of his summer months along the Oregon coast in Seaside and Cannon Beach with his immediate and extended family.
While learning the basics of broadcast television production, his first paid gig in the industry began at KBTC-TV in Tacoma, Washington, in its master control room switching taped programming. Near the end of his studies at Bates Technical College, he earned a paid internship at KOMO-TV to assist production of the ABC affiliate’s newscasts.
Within a few months, a friend and fellow Bates student convinced Steve to submit his candidacy for a news photographer position at KTVN-TV in Reno, Nevada. This was the break which allowed Steve to pursue his dream of becoming a news cameraman. The opportunity was the foundation of a career that would take him across the country and back again.
Steve’s journey took him to places where he covered hurricanes and survived tornadoes in America’s Deep South. Assignments crossed thousands of miles, and for nearly a decade Steve met hundreds of people and experienced new communities and cultures in North Carolina and Georgia. His talents behind the camera were rewarded with an opportunity to develop presentation skills in front of the lens. In 2010, Steve’s career grew from photojournalist to on-air reporter at Atlanta, Georgia’s WGCL-TV. After honing his new skills over a handful of years, the planets would align again with an opportunity to return to the Pacific Northwest and continue a broadcasting career where it began.
In the spring of 2013, Steve’s talents were recognized and rewarded with employment at Seattle’s KCPQ-TV. For nearly a decade, Steve continued reporting on-air and working as a photojournalist through some of Western Washington’s most iconic milestones in recent memory. Today, Steve’s trusted journalism serves KBTC-TV’s public affairs program Northwest Now.
Through the awards, recognitions and nominations Steve gathered throughout his career, what he treasures most is the trust he has earned from his audience, colleagues and interview subjects. Steve approaches his work with humility, taking consideration for sensitive situations, and aims to meet people where and as they are. Earning and retaining their trust and respect is a responsibility he takes seriously. Steve considers his work of seeking out and reporting the truth a matter of public service.
Steve Kiggins RIP
February 12, 2026 at QZVX
Jason Remington says:
Two decades at KTVN Reno, WFMY Greensboro, WGCL Atlanta and KCPQ Seattle